Dispensers



June 19, 1956 M. J. NEYSES 2,751,113

DISPENSERS Filed April 14, 1953 INVENTOR. MICHAEL J. N EYSES ATTO RNEY 2,751,113 DISPENSERS Michael J. Neyses, Milwaukee, Wis. Application April 14, 1953, Serial No. 348,694 6 Claims. (Cl. 221-226) My invention relates to dispensers and more particularly to dispensers for sanitary lip protectors which are to be applied to the upper edge of beverage tumblers or the like.

An object of my invention is to provide a device that permits application of lip protectors directly to the tumbler or the like, without enlisting human contact.

Another object of my invention is to provide a device that furnishes direct contact of the drinking glass or tumbler with the lip protector during the application.

Still another object of my invention is to provide an adaptor with a tubular reservoir to furnish extra supplies of protectors for dispensing purposes.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device that may be constructed to accommodate lip protectors of any shape or contour, without changing its performance or affecting its efficiency.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a device that may be mounted in any convenient place to permit accessibility.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a device that is equipped with means for removing used protectors from the drinking glass or the like, before applyin g a new protector.

Lip protectors, such as are described and claimed in my co-pending application, provide a means of furnishing protection from germs when drinking from beverage tumblers, drinking glasses, cups or the like in public places and inasmuch as sanitation is the prime object of the protectors, it becomes manifest that the lip protectors be applied to the edge of the tumblers, cups, or the like, without coming in contact with the human touch. The device described, illustrated and claimed herein provides such a lip protector dispensing means to apply the protector directly to the glass or the like without it being touched by human hands.

Obviously, the device is simple in construction, easy to manipulate, it may be placed in any convenient location to make it readily accessible and is highly efiicient for the purpose for which it is intended.

Other and further objects of my invention will become more apparent as the description proceeds when taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device in an assembled position, showing a portion of a receptacle acting as a reservoir for the supply of lip protectors and showing the removal arm extended outward for removing the protectors from the beverage tumbler or the like.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the conventional type of lip protectors that are applied to the edge of the tumbier or the like by means of the dispenser.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the dispenser and a portion of the supply reservoir and showing a fragmentary portion of the tumbler inserted in position as when the lip protector is applied, and

Figure 4 is a front view of the dispenser as shown in Figures 1 and 3, and showing in dotted lines the adaptor 2 and supply tube angularly disposed for the convenience of the user. j I

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and referring now to the same, the character 10 shows a face plate of circular contour which is placed at a slight angle for convenience in using the device. The circular plate 10 is shown supported at its forward lower end by legs or standards 11 and 11' which are provided with apertures shown as 12, to permit inserting screws or the like to fasten the entire device to the surface such as a table or back bar as in a tavern. The rearward end of the face plate 10 is supported at the top by a vertical leg or standard shown as 13 which is also provided with an aperture 12 the same as the legs or vertical standards 11 and 11'.

The center of the face plate 10 is equipped with a screw shown as 14 which is inserted to support an adaptor 15. This adaptor is fastened at its lower end by the screw 14 and has a flat surface which is in direct contact with the surface of the base plate 10. The adaptor 15 is shown having a semi-circular contour at its top 16. However, this contour may vary to any shape to accommodate the particular type of lip protector shown as 17 in Figure 2. These lip protectors are in the forms of channels and have extending ends spaced apart from one another joined at their one end, and the entire protector is formed into a semi-circular fashion to correspond with the radius of the tumbler, a portion of Which is shown as 18 in Figure 3. The upper portion 15 of the adaptor 15 is cut at 19 to provide a slot and the bottom portion of the adaptor 15 immediately below the slot 19 is provided with a block 20 which is of the same radial contour as the slot 19 which contour, obviously, is to correspond with the radius of the tumbler, 18, when the tumbler is inserted into the slot 19. The upper portion 15 of the adaptor 15 is shown provided with a supply tube or reservoir shown as 21. This supply tube is slidably engaged within the upper portion 15 of the adaptor 15 and there is an elongated aperture shown as 22 which extends through the upper portion 15' of the adaptor 15 and also the lower portion of the supply tube 21 to show the lip protectors as they are forced towards the opening or slot 19 in the adaptor 15 by means of the sliding member 23 extending outward through an elongated slot 24 in the rear face of the supply tube 21. This member 23 is urged towards the base plate 10 by means of the resilient member or spring 25 which is attached at 26 to the upper end of the adaptor 15 and at the other end 27 to the member 23. The lip protectors, shown as 17, are disposed within the supply tube 21, one against another with their open end at the top and are forced onward toward the block 20 where the open end of the lip protector 17 will be caused to be in alignment with the open end of the slot 19 at the opening thereof for engagement of the tumbler 18 when it is placed onto the base plate 10 by the user.

The base plate 10 is further provided with a recess 28 shown in Figure 4 to accommodate an extending blade 29 having a concave upper edge 30 and pivotally mounted at 31 to the base plate 10. When this extending blade 29 is forced outward as shown in Figure 1, it will permit the user or the operator to remove the old lip protector from the tumbler or the like, before replacing it with a new sanitary lip protector disposed within the supply tube 21 and adaptor 15. When the extending blade 29 is not in use, it may be moved upward into the slot 28 in the base plate 10 so that it is out of the way and ready for further use when neede The screw 14 in the center of the base plate 10 supporting the adaptor 15 permits the adaptor to be moved in a circular fashion on the base plate 10 as shown by the dotted lines in Figure 4. This movement of the adaptor 15 and the supply tube 21 is for the purpose of permitting 3 the entire device to be mounted in a convenient manner so that the elongated supply tube will not interfere with any object that might be in its way.

In operation, the device would be mounted onto a surface plate, and a supply tube 21 with the lip protectors therein would be placed into engagement with upper end of the adaptor 15 and the member 23 forces the lip protectors downward against the block in the bottom portion of the adaptor 15, and in this manner, all lip protectors will be in direct alignment with the open slot 19 in the adaptor 15 and thus will engage the lip protector disposed within the slot 19 having its open end toward the top, and as the tumbler 18 is disengaged from the slot 19, the lip protector will automatically be attached to the tumbler and the next in line lip protector will be forced downward against the face of the block 20 by means of the resilient member or spring as shown.

While I have shown a specific arrangement of the component parts constituting my device, I am fully cognizant of the fact that many changes in the form and configuration of the parts may be made without effecting their operativcness and without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent in the United States is:

l. A dispensing device of the character described comprising, a surface plate, an adaptor mounted to said surface plate, said adaptor being of a hollow semi-circular tubular construction having a fiat surface at its bottom for engagement with said surface plate, said tubular adaptor having a semi-circular slot disposed laterally through its upper walls near the center thereof and extending downward toward said flat surface and a downwardly projecting member closing said hollow tube alignment with one side of said slot, said downwardly projecting member being of the same contour as said slot.

2. A device for dispensing sanitary lip protectors, said device comprising in combination, a flat, surface plate vertically disposed, a tubular adaptor having a flat lower face for engagement with said surface plate, said adaptor mounted at one end to said surface plate and having its other end projecting outward from the upper edge of said surface plate, said adaptor having an open slot of semicircular contour extending through the walls of said adaptor in lateral relation thereto, said slot disposed near the center of said adaptor at its point of attachment to said surface plate, and a sealing means for sealing the tubular adaptor between its attached end and the edge of said slot, said sealing means having the same contour as said slot.

3. A dispensing device of the character described com prising in combination, a circular surface plate angularly disposed, a tubular adaptor, said adaptor having an end pivotally mounted to the center of said surface plate and extending outward from said plate at the other end, said adaptor having a flat lower face for direct slidable contact with said surface plate, said adaptor provided with a semidcircular slot extending laterally through its wall and terminating at its flat lower wall, and a sealing means within said adaptor between its attached end and the edge of said slot, the sealing means having the same radial contour as said slot.

4. A device for dispensing sanitary lip protectors, said device comprising in combination, a flat surface plate disposed vertically in angular fashion, a tubular adaptor having a fiat lower face for engagement with said surface plate, said adaptor mounted at one end to said surface plate, said adaptor having an open slot of semi-circular contour extending through the walls of said adaptor in lateral relation thereto, said slot disposed near the central portion of said adaptor at its point of attachment to said surface plate, a sealing means for sealing the tubular adaptor between its attached end and the edge of said slot, said sealing means having the same contour as said slot and a tubular supply reservoir of the same contour of said adaptor and provided with means for urging lip protectors when disposed within said reservoir toward said adaptor, said supply reservoir adapted to be inserted into the open end of said adaptor.

5. A dispensing device of the character described comprising, a surface plate, an adaptor mounted to said surface plate, said adaptor being of a hollow semi-circular tubular construction having a flat surface at its bottom for engagement with said surface plate, said tubular adaptor having a laterally disposed semi-circular slot disposed through its upper wall near the center thereof and having its ends extending downward toward said flat surface, a removable supply tube adapted to engage the open end of said reservoir and means within said supply tube for urging articles to be dispensed toward the slot in said adaptor.

6. A dispensing device of the character described, comprising in combination, a circular surface plate angularly supported, a tubular adaptor, said adaptor having one end pivotally mounted to the center of said surface plate and extending outward from said plate at the other end, said adaptor having a fiat lower face for direct slidable contact with said surface plate, said adaptor provided with a semicircular slot extending laterally through its walls and terminating at its flat lower wall, a sealing means within said adaptor disposed within said adaptor between its point of attachment and the edge of said open slot, said sealing means having the same radial contour as said slot, a removable supply tube adapted to engage the open edge of of said reservoir and means within said supply tube for urging articles to be dispensed toward said slot in said adaptor.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

